Storyline

The crew detects an unusual energy reading; elevated thoron emissions near the Denorios belt. Sisko and Dax think it might have something to do with the increased traffic since the wormhole was found and Dax investigates to find out if it poses any danger to the station. Meanwhile chief O'Brien is telling the story of Rumpelstiltskin to his daughter Molly and after he leaves Molly tells him the fairy character appeared in her room. To his astonishment Molly tells the truth, he faces Rumpelstiltskin. All of the sudden all over the station people secret imaginations are appearing in the open, causing chaos. Quark is escorted by two beautiful ladies and seems very happy until he finds out everybody is winning with dabo. Bashir finds a Dax that is in love with him and baseball player Buck Bokai appears before Sisko. Odo must work in the snow to keep the promenade safe. Written by
Arnoud Tiele (imdb@tiele.nl)

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Chief O'Brien's fantasy was going to be a leprechaun, but Colm Meaney refused to give in to clichés about his Irish heritage. He remembered his irritation with the portrayal of Irish people in Star Trek: The Next Generation: Up the Long Ladder (1989), but, now had the clout to insist on script changes, so he had the creature changed to the German imp Rumpelstiltskin. This recalls a change to one of the first Trek productions Star Trek: The Naked Time (1966), where George Takei, wishing to avoid clichés about the Japanese, insisted that Sulu's alternate personality be changed from a Samurai to a Frenchman. See more »

Goofs

Dr. Bashir says that he might have an allergic reaction to the "replimated" antipasto. He probably meant to say either the "replicated" antipasto or the antipasto from the replimat. See more »

Quotes

[on a view screen, Odo sees Quark trapped in a holding cell]
Odo:
How did you get in there?
Quark:
How did I get in here? You put me in here!
Odo:
Ah, hm - I guess I did, didn't I?
[chuckles]
Quark:
Yeah!
[vanishes from screen]
Odo:
No imagination indeed. Ha!
See more »

Frequently Asked Questions

User Reviews

One of the more enjoyable episodes of the original "Star Trek" was "Shore Leave". The crew of the Enterprise land on a planet--not realizing it's an entertainment facility where everyone's fantasies come to life. Well, here with "If Wishes Were Horses", the same sort of thing is encountered--but this time in the middle of space.

It begins with O'Brien reading his daughter a fairy tale. Without warning, Rumplestiltskin appears in the room--ready to spin straw into gold or whatever they want. Soon, more odd characters begin appearing all over the station--including a very willing and amorous new Jadzea Dax who thinks Dr. Bashir is a very, very sexy guy! What's happening and why?!

Seeing the various fantasies come to life is enjoyable and this light-hearted episode is a welcome change of pace for "Deep Space 9".

3 of 4 people found this review helpful.
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